health epidemic. >> reporter: he is one of hundreds of petitions that sprung up since the tragedy at sandy hook elementary school. >> reporter: as the national rifle association took the podium in washington. >> the only thing that stop as bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun. >> reporter: he was pushing a different solution. >> there are 30,000 people who die every year from gun violence. same number who die from car crashes. the centers for disease control researches car crashes and barely looks at guns. >> reporter: he and others are asking the centers for disease control to research and measure the magnitude of gun violence in america. the national rifle association lobbied lawmakers to cut centers for disease control funding. >> something so terrible happened that people are saying we got to do something. this is not acceptable. >> reporter: in washington protesters interrupted the national rifle association's news conference where it called for armed police in every school. he has yet to hear from the national rifle association or the cdc but he is hopeful it will get someone'